I have dabbled a little in medicinal plants, tinctures, etc, since I'm a nurse have a keen interest. And after seeing what a bucket load of pills can do to a person, I kinda perfer trying the plant variety for what ales ya first. Then see the doc if this doesn't help the problem, or of course for anything truly life threatening.
I was wondering are there any among us who makes tinctures, etc and considers themselves a practiitoner?? Would be interesting talking with you.
Take care!

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`Lisa`
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To err is human To forgive is divine.:heart_blue1:

I do however practice rubbing some stuff on me occassionally. Does that count? If you do get into making up some tinctures and stuff, research santo palo wood and the oil that comes from it. I think I have posted on BHM about it before.

I have a friend's daughter that does some of the herbal remedies and I was given some to try. It is truly amazing to me. Can't remember what I needed it for then?? But, it worked. I pulled it out the other day for a crick (medical term) in my neck and used it and it greatly helped that. I think the first batch I got was with some comfrey also. It's good for a lot of aches and pains, headaches, etc.

She is in a very intensive nursing program right now so I hope what I have will last till she gets through it. Of course, if there was another source...? Kiddin', I'm good for now. Definitely worth the research. Interesting story about that stuff.

I have dabbled a little in medicinal plants, tinctures, etc, since I'm a nurse have a keen interest. And after seeing what a bucket load of pills can do to a person, I kinda perfer trying the plant variety for what ales ya first. Then see the doc if this doesn't help the problem, or of course for anything truly life threatening.
I was wondering are there any among us who makes tinctures, etc and considers themselves a practitioner?? Would be interesting talking with you.
Take care!

I make a lot of tinctures, oil essences, and things like that. Right now I have a jar of dried elderberries covered in vodka for winter flu season. I also have some dried roses in grape seed oil and some lavender in grape seed oil, wintergreen covered with oil, and other jars of dried herbs and flowerss either covered with oil or vodka or vinegar. My favorite is the frankincense soaking in olive oil. I buy it by the pound and crush it up then mix with oil for the skin. You can also make soap out of it. Marigolds are also great for the skin.

I am not an expert at anything about this, but it makes me feel like I have hope for caring for myself if I get sick. LOL. I do mainly oils, and rub them on my feet at the meridian points. I also make up star anise tea in the winter to prevent colds/flu because star anise is what tamiflu is made from, plus it just tastes good, so I try to keep a few pounds of it on hand. And every fall I collect and dry rose hips from the garden to make teas or oils. Plus we collect pine every year to steam for the oils we get from it. Pine, and evergreens, are good for pain if you rub them on the meridians and vitaflex on the points on the feet.

I would love to learn more from experts on the subject though because everything I try is basically a tiny bit of knowledge and a bunch of experimentation. I do try to keep a supply of dried flowers and herbs that I purchase at the health food store, plus some of Bach Floral essences on hand too, plus some dried lemon and orange peels and, of course, cloves. You can make so many useful products from these things. Everyone should have them and some magnets too as well as a generator and silver for emergencies.

I would really love to be able to identify plants and know their uses in the wild. Some people can just walk out, point out plants by name and know their uses. I cannot do that. I buy a lot of my stuff at the health food store just because I don't want to take a chance on not knowing what a plant is for sure.

i know how to recognize a lot of herb but don't know much about their uses. but one thing I do know for a fact is about goat milk. It will absolutely cure digestive disorders,such as ulcers even ones that made my ex-wife bleed till she would be in the hospital getting blood restored by IV. acid reflux for me is a thing of the past and it don't take a lot. a coffee cup a day and you can even cut that with 1/2 water if the goat milk is stronger than you like. The ex would take all the meds the doctors gave her and still twice i came home and found her laying on the floor in a puddle of blood and carried her to er. An old man and woman who lived near us and milked goats told us about the milk so we skeptically started her on it and in a week no more belly pain and for the next 5 years we were together not once did I have to take her back to er. and she quit all the meds the doctors were giving her within a month. I was taking different stuff to control frequent heartburn and acid reflux so I started drinking it and haven't had heart burn in 15 years now.

I completed a year long medicinal herbalism apprenticeship and continue to use herbs regularly. I am currently playing around with a tincture I've made of bee propolis that I procured from a local bee keeper. I am hoping for some good stuff from it.

Herbs are amazing for healing and are also amazing for preventative medicine. Nettles are my favorite all around herb. They are a great pot herb, make a great tea, and are super tonic and nutritive. A great place to start!

Regarding being a "practitioner," I practice at home and if friends ask, I will tell them what I think and leave it up to them. It's a sticky situation if you start prescribing herbs to people without a license or liability insurance in place. So, I am not a practitioner but I have delved pretty deeply into the art and science of it and continue to do so.

Definitely not an herbalist - but I do make a mean "cold cure" tea! Trouble is, my stomach can't tolerate it, but my husband swears by it. Now I am in the market for elderberries to make some syrup. But I am having a devil of a time trying to locate any here. If there is someone on here that is an herbalist...that would be great! Doctors have given up on me, so I am willing to try anything that won't upset my stomach.

Oh man! IndyHom, I just saw your post after I wrote mine! Ok, here's something to think about, and if you have any ideas I would greatly appreciate your input.
I have a neuro-muscle type of disorder - actually called dystonia (generalized, not focal; was termed dopa responsive, but meds no longer work so I don't know if that still applies; botox not an option, since they would have to botox whole body LOL! So, the head-honcho neuro here said my last try at the meds was my last shot. He doesn't have any other options for me. I thought about accupunture, but I just can't get into all the incense/chi type of stuff (not to mention that I bleed profusely at the slightest wound - but that's a whole other ball of wax - not hemophilia). So what do you suppose are the best herbs to try for this type of thing?

Regarding being a "practitioner," I practice at home and if friends ask, I will tell them what I think and leave it up to them. It's a sticky situation if you start prescribing herbs to people without a license or liability insurance in place. So, I am not a practitioner but I have delved pretty deeply into the art and science of it and continue to do so.

I know someone who works under a chiropractor, and privately too, that has everyone sign a form saying they are participating in a medical research study and waiving liability.

I like the tincture because I don't always want the grit in the end product and other times because it makes it easier to get the goodness to the area it's needed. It's easier, for example, for someone to apply it to a cold sore in a smooth salve made with the tincture or just as the tincture straight to the cold sore. Faster healing time and the alcohol will help it dry up. I'd add some lemon balm to that as well, incidentally.

Also, tincturing isn't just for extended shelf life. Some medicinal constituents aren't water soluble and so alcohol will pull out those parts and make them available to the body.

Hope that helps!

Hooverville, let me give that some thought... acupuncture might not be a bad idea. It has worked, incense and all, for thousands of years for the Chinese who can use it as effective anesthesia for surgery. You just have to be careful who you use. In my city there is actually a Chinese doctor who is also a Western physician and he uses both approaches together. I have several friends who swear by him. Not sure if you'd have access to similar. I think he's a rare breed.

Today I'm going to make a mouthwash with some of that bee propolis tincture, filtered water, and peppermint oil. I might add some eucalyptus, lemon, and cinnamon oil if I have them too. As I was planning this in my mind, I remembered your post and thought I'd offer a use of the tincture.

Happy making!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dame

IndyHom, Would you say more about the tincture of propolis. Why would you need a tincture when the stuff will keep indefinitely on its own?

practicing herbalist sounds a bit like a professional. You don't mean that, right?

I can agree with you, have seen what taking pills has done to the health of several neighbours. Well, to each his own and we all have to bear the consequences of our actions.
I have a great list of recipies and used to do a lot more but if you stay healthy and you have to throw it away it is a waste. And even cheap vodka is expensive. What I always have on hand is a bottle of swedish bitters, I use the recipe I got from Maria Treben. I keep comfrey tincture, learnt that from my mother. Out of desperation we started using it on tick and mite bites and find that it stops the itching and speeds healing. It speeds healing on any kind of wound. Mother always kept a bottle of arnica tincture, but it does not grow here, so I use homeopathic arnica.
I want to get some burdock plants going good, So far I have one plant. We have lots of passion vines growing, I know I ought to dry a bunch, I often have trouble sleeping.
My folks were big on collecting herbs and drank a mixed herb tea every morning. Long time ago Dad had 13 gallstones, and he started drinking tea and next time he went to the Dr. that good man wanted to know what Dad did to the gallstones. They were all gone. Dad died in June when I was home to visit them. Dr. said there was no reason for him to die, nothing wrong with him. He was sleeping on the sofa and never woke up. He was 87 and he would say it was time to call it a day.
My folks helped a lot of people, you could not sit on our porch because they had herbs drying from one end to the other, and they made gallons of tinctures, gave a way most of it and never took a penny. the week before father died he gathered elder blossoms and gave me a bag of it. I know I will cry into the tea. It is great for flue, add a bit of lemon, and it induces sweating, too. Mother always said, sweat it out. Next week I plan to harvest my elderberries and put them up as juice. Add to tea in winter. It has lots of vitamins and iron and no need to wait until you are sick to use it.
things to have on hand.
Broadleaf plantain in olive oil for cuts and wounds,
comfrey does the same

narrow leaf plantain tea for phlegm on the chest and cough
coltsfoot for cough,
honey and thyme for cough

Well, I don't want to keep on and on. My experience with herbs has been good. Always home grown or wild. I understand what you buy can be pretty wimpy and helps mostly the seller. I have tried to grow here what I used to pick wild at home, and have not had much luck with chamomille and St. Johns wort.

Well, I don't want to keep on and on. My experience with herbs has been good. Always home grown or wild. I understand what you buy can be pretty wimpy and helps mostly the seller. I have tried to grow here what I used to pick wild at home, and have not had much luck with chamomille and St. Johns wort.

Are you kidding?! Keep going on! I am learning so much! Thanks for posting this!

Well, it is this time of year and things need to be picked and prepared. At least some of it.
I found some really nice burdock plants, picked a bunch of the leaves. They are hanging out on the clothesline this minute, (shady part of it) drying. Some of the leaves are huge. I am going to take a pair of scissors and cut out the stem part out. No, I did not wash them first. It rained the day before I picked the leaves. Burdock takes the pain from all wounds, especially from burns. and it heals without leaving a big scar. That is so important with burns. to use, cut a piece of leaf to fit the hurt, soak it a bit in boiling water, then apply on the hurt and apply a bandage.
I have one big scar that gives me a heck of a time every time the weather changes, I have had it for 22 years now, but I want to try it on that. I have red clover drying, and need to put the peppermint away. As soon as I am done with this writing, I need to chop up the poke root DH dug up, I have never used it, but I am not getting any younger either and after working hard, sometimes my finger joints ache. Poke is supposed to be THE herb for arthritis. It also is poisonous. I am making a tincture. It is supposed to be mild tasting and hugely potent. You take one drop. Not a teaspoon, not a dropper, a drop. Stuff like that I like to dilute a bit and keep under my tongue for a while. You can raise the dosage to several drops. there is not one set rule, because everybody is different. But if you feel squeezy or notice it is too much, lay off a day and then cut back.
It really strengthens the immune system. You can also swallow the berries. My goats eat them en masse, Unfortunately the seeds go right through and each one of course sprouts.
Thanks Randy posting about the effects of goat milk. I did not know about the acid reflux and the ulcer part. Thanks. I read that goat milk is alkaline, which cow milk is not. We regularly get sick from store milk. No, I do not drink a lot of it, I just do not like my coffee black and some things you need milk for, like gravy, or mashed potatoes. I hate it when my girls are standing dry.
In the good old days they would use fresh made cheese, cow or goat, and put it as a poultice on a sprain. I have never tried it, DD is now in the process of giving it a try, she sprained her ankle. I recommended she take arnika globuli and put comfrey on it. (which, being my daughter, she had done already).
If anyone is desperate wanting a comfrey root to start in the garden, I have plenty and am glad to share, If you want to make a mixed tea, which my Dad always did, he was a bit non chalant about it,
it is time to dry black berry leaves, raspberry leaves, clover and red peonie. (Of course raspberry leaf is the herb for childbirth, supposed to help the process. My momma goat came in yesterday looking determined and not feeling good, I figured she was in labor. she headed right for the stall she always kids in. I made her a green drink putting raspberry leaves in the vita mix with water. DH said she would not drink it, but she drank it right up. then she thought I should stay with her. Okay, I got me a book and sat down in the straw, but she complained, she wanted to be talked to, petted and told how sorry I felt for her and everything would be fine. She had two girls). I got side tracked here. Yarrow is ready for picking here, too. It is more a tea for female troubles. Dad kept his plants separated in buckets. He had a tin with a lid in the kitchen which he filled from the buckets. Once it was heavy on the yarrow, which tastes awful. I said, Dad, that is for female trouble, he said, that's okay, it won't hurt nothing.
We always dried Linden flowers for colds and flue. I wish I had some Linden trees. The bees make a really good honey from the flowers. The elder blossoms are budding, one of my favorites. My grandmother used to say, when you pass an elder, tip your hat. Meaning, show it respect. She said it is a whole pharmacy in one bush. I remember once we had a houseguest and she had an open sore on the leg from a varicose vein, mother made her a poultice of elder and plantain. By the time the lady left us, it was healed over. She could take a bath. The elder draws out. Seems we had a lot more carbuncles and things like that, mother put an elder leaf on it and it would draw it right out.
Plantain, broadleaf for wounds, scrapes, and long leaf for cough tea, are ready now. I understand you can dry plantain leaves whole and use like you do burdock. I have never done that, I always soaked it for 6 weeks in good olive oil and added a bit of beeswax after that. I have not put it on big gaping wounds, but on scrapes and cuts of the garden variety.

That's a new one to me WHI. It makes a pretty big plant with big leaves that are kind of tough and coarse. I can't see how a child could hurt itself with comfrey. Chickens and geese go wild over it. Geese ate every plant they could get to down to the nob. The goats like it, but if they eat too much they get a touch of diarrhea. I put a couple of comfrey leaves into our green morning drink about once or twice a week. It tastes just a tad like borage. I guess moderation, like in everything else. I do tincture at least a gallon of it every year, using the roots. It tastes awful and one is not tempted to indulge in it. I was taught to use comfrey tincture on the outside only.
while I am at it, from my experience it does have a beneficial effect on the skin. I am out a lot in the sun and my arms get very dry splotches with very scaly skin that are kind of deep. I have dry skin anyway. Well, comfrey tincture has helped that problem greatly. It also does a number on the itching and healing of bug bites. I only can speak for tick and turkey mite bites. I get bit a lot and am very thankful that it works. We used to use Lanacaine to curb the itching somewhat. That gets expensive for two people full of bites. I tried it out of desperation once, when I was itching to distraction and had a bottle of the tincture on my nightstand to use on my broken ankle.
What are your experiences with herbs?

I've been to several seminars by herbal anthropologist John Heinermann and have a LOT of books that I study. The only tinctures I make are when I can get fresh echinacea pallida roots and another with myhrr bark powder. I've experimented making my own salve and it turned out amazing - (luck.) I keep several commercial herb combinations and teas, and milk thistle seed in caps. I started using a commercial herb combination for energy about 30 years ago and found my allergies went from extreme to almost non-existent after using them a few years. Unfortunately, they had ephedra as one ingredient and that is now regulated as methamphetamines can be made with it. (Which I will say #@!&*#$!! to the jerk that figured that out!) They stopped making the combination and my allergies are gradually returning.

Well, I've made my own teas for quite a few years. That seems to be the right dose for me, as I have paradoxical reactions (reverse side effects) to a lot of medications. When I take meds, I take kids' dosages... so herbs are even more suited to my "delicate" (ha!) constitution.

The best one, was I had a boil (in a sensitive area) that started to abscess. I looked around at what I had; researched my library... and used a hot bath with dried sage (about 1/2 c) in it. When I finally went for medical attention, the nurse-pract did give me an antibiotic for a staph infection - but said to soak in a hot bath. On a chance, I told her about the sage. My sources said it was used in WWII in military hospitals in France, when they ran out of topical antibiotics for wounds. She hadn't heard that, and agreed that it probably wouldn't "hurt" to use it during my soaks. It certainly helped speed the healing process.

I kinda grew up around folks who "used what they had" -- and knew quite a bit about the properties of plants. Once I was grown and living that kind of homestead life, I just let my interest run to whatever I came across that looked interesting and would grow well in my area. Paid attention to what I planted next to each other, too. The Tibetans believe that the strength of medicinal herbs are weakened/enhanced or even complimented by the energy of plants co-planted with it. Don't know for sure if that's true -- but my experience has been that it does make a subtle difference.

bookwormom, would love for you to share your knowledge about your herbs. I love learning about this stuff. I feel that we could all benefit by knowing some of this stuff. I've been making a few tinctures, & salves and some teas with a few of the herbs. I ordered some bulk herbs from off line. they are better than what you get from the health food stores. I guess elderberry is my most used, and golden seal tea, burdock root, plantain. I've just started learning about comfrey root ( I got some comfrey root powder.) Would love to know your dosage for making stuff with it, and how you use it. I'm treating a wound on hubby's leg that he got Monday from the cement floor we poured. Looks like road rash. I used 1 tbs of comfrey root to 2 cups of distilled water, which I soak bandages in & lay on his leg. I'm hoping it will help heal it faster.
Well guess I'll quite rambling for now. Thanks for info you can share.

sissy

P.S. Would love to grow all my herbs some day. Have got some Plantain started in pots till I get a bed ready. When I can I will start getting plants to plant.